 Step
up!
There’s lots of work that needs to be
done!
September 3, 2004
iranian.com
Over the summer when Editor-in-Chief Elnaz Manoucheri
was putting together the fourth edition of our student magazine,
Goftogoo: Dialogue on Iran and Iranians. I asked her
to save me a slot in case she liked my entry. I spent the month
of July in
Cuba through UC Berkeley’s abroad program and returned in
early August.
Since then, I have been pondering about the topic
of my potential entry for the publication. I thought, maybe I should
write about my experience in Cuba since so many people have asked
about it. Or perhaps, I should write the History of the Iranian
Student Alliance in America (ISAA), Volume 2.
As I laid in bed
at two in the morning, I began writing in my head about a candid
article about all of it, my experience in Cuba, ISAA, and just
some personal feelings. It may not flow well and just be rambling,
but I said to myself, it will be real, honest,
and therapeutic.
Many of my Iranian friends were shocked to hear that I had long
desired to visit Cuba and that I was finally making the endeavor.
They gave the same reaction a typical American would give if they
found out I was from Iran or one of “those” countries.
After all, when most people think of summer trips, they think of
Europe, the Bahamas, or Cancun. Me, I’d rather go to Cuba
and so I did (no, I am not a Communist).
I’ve been to many places such as Russia, Croatia, Italy,
Poland, Greece, Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Spain, the Netherlands,
Belgium, but Cuba was by far my favorite. Besides the hospitality
of the people and their strong sense of history and identity, I
think the best thing about Cuba is that it is Cuban.
 There are
no McDonald’s or Burger Kings, or even imitations such as “King
Burger” like in Iran. Cuba is Cuban, it isn’t a foreign
country that is dominated by American symbols like all the other
countries I had visited. In Russia, I bought Coca Cola beverages
with American dollars in Red Square next to Vladimir Lenin’s
Mausoleum!
Cuba, on the other hand, 90 miles off the coast of Florida,
retained itself as an authentic and distinct country, separate
from cultural and other forms of imperialism. This of course,
comes at a heavy price being that Cuba is an extremely closed country.
This is where ISAA comes to mind. Anyone who knows me can tell
you that in my two years with the organization, I gave it 110%.
While in Cuba, a certain satisfaction came over me. While the U.S.
is
Americanizing the world, our organization at one of the
most
historic campuses in America with 3,000 people on its listserve,
is representing Iran, its history, culture, identity and more on
a large scale in the “belly of the beast,” the United
States. It made all the sacrifices and stress that came with ISAA
and being part of the leadership highly worth the while.
When I
look back, I get nostalgic knowing that I can only look at the
organization from afar for I am no longer a student. I await the
next opportunity where I can do more in the name of our beloved
homeland, the people of Iran, and the diaspora. For those of you
who have this opportunity as students, step up and seize this rare
opportunity to represent and address the many problems that persist.
 Too many Iranians are lost to their history, culture, and identity,
which dates back several thousand years. Too many Americans are
ignorant about the vibrant history of our motherland. Too many
societal problems and cultural problems exist within the diaspora
and in Iran itself. Step up, there’s lots of work that needs
to be done!
And don’t ever tell yourself: “What can
I do, I’m only one person,” because if everyone had
that mentality, people of the likes of Gandhi and Dr. Muhammad
Mossadegh would not have risen to the occasion and impacted this
world of ours for the better!
About
Pouya Alimagham recently graduated with honors from UC Berkeley
double majoring in Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science
and was the 2003-2004 President of the Iranian
Student Alliance in America.
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